EJMT Abstract

Interest in using technology in teaching has seen tremendous growth in the last two decades. However, the popular device that has been broadly used in mathematics classrooms is the graphing calculator in which numerical solutions and graphs are displayed for visualizing but neither for meanings or making connections nor for interactions. This study carried out an experiment that promoted interactive and collaborative learning and provided students opportunities to make sense of graphing functions with the use of computer graphing software — MathTrax. Although similar in concept with the graphing calculator, MathTrax with its unique audio and visual feature has shown rich in ideas and applications. The study illustrates the eighth grade students” ability to learn the new software with peers as well as individually and delineates the benefits of the use of this free-download computer graphical software on motivating learning and enhancing students” concept of algebraic functions.